The story
The Skirvin opened in 1911 in downtown Oklahoma City, built by oil and real-estate man W.B. Skirvin, and grew into the city's premier hotel, hosting presidents, entertainers and dignitaries across the 20th century before closing in the late 1980s; after standing empty for years it was restored and reopened in 2007 as the Skirvin Hilton, a member of Historic Hotels of America. Its haunted reputation centres on a figure known in local legend as 'Effie', said to have been a maid connected to the hotel's early owner who, in the often-repeated story, came to a tragic end with a child; these details are folklore and not established fact, and should be treated with care. Guests and staff have reported the cry of an unseen baby, a woman's voice, knocking and items moving, and several visiting NBA teams have famously described uneasy nights at the hotel. Such accounts should be presented as guest reports and legend rather than proven phenomena. Current room and booking details should be confirmed from the official site before publishing.